Equipping men with biblical knowledge and leadership skills
If you’re a new Christian who doesn’t know where to start, or a long-time believer feeling stagnant in their faith, this is the place for you. These blogs have a simple mission: to help men grow in their knowledge of the Bible, thereby providing confidence to make an impact for Christ – big or small.
Is this right for me?
Anyone can benefit from these blogs, but if one or more of these descriptions hit home, then Burning Bush Blogs is the place for you:
- New believers who doesn’t know where to start.
- Non-Christians, simply wanting to learn more in a private, no-pressure environment.
- Christians who want to study the Bible, but have no idea how.
- Men reluctant to join church groups. You just don’t know enough about the Bible to fit in.
- Men who feel guilty that they aren’t a spiritual leader in their family.
- Anyone who doesn’t have time for this.
- Someone about to be thrust into a teaching role. Panicking. We got you.
- Men who need a good God, but struggle to find him.
Why Burning Bush?
Like Moses in the Land of Midian, many of us have found a comfortable life with our families, our jobs, and our familiar worship patterns. But the nagging thought remains – were we meant to do more?
Moses had escaped the tyranny in Egypt. He’d married a devout woman in the wilderness of Midian, where he tended her father’s sheep. He’d thought he was defending his Jewish brother when he’d killed the Egyptian. Now he was just confused. But he couldn’t go back. He’d worship God here, enjoying the safety. His one time position in the palace seemed a distant memory.
But God…
God sometimes has other plans. God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and sent him back to Egypt. Oh, Moses objected. But God won. And Moses finally obeyed, leading his people out of slavery.
Are we supposed to do more? But where to even start? God’s not likely to appear to us in a burning bush any time soon.
A Simple Starting Point
The Burning Bush Blogs will not attempt to do everything. Instead, they will provide a game plan for growth in one area: biblical knowledge. It will provide straightforward tools for studying scripture, thereby equipping men for personal growth and for encouraging others in their spiritual journeys.
Common Objections
If you’re like me, the term Bible Study sometimes sounds more like a chore than a privilege. I know I should spend more time in the Word. I enjoy listening to my pastor break down a complex passage. Other men in the church seem to take great pleasure in it. So what’s wrong with me? Why my reluctance to do it on my own, or even more daunting, to lead others?
- Time – we all live busy lives. Sunday, the last day of the weekend, is one thing. But how to make time during the week with work, family, and other responsibilities?
- Complexity – It seems overwhelming. How exactly should I go about it?
- Drudgery– Stop with the guilt trip of what I’m not doing right. I bring my family to Church on Sundays. Adding a Bible study doesn’t sound interesting.
- Insecurity – I don’t want my lack of knowledge about the Bible to be exposed. Joining a study group isn’t going to happen. (this objection affects men at a higher rate than women, but it isn’t something we voice out loud)
- Toolkit availability – do I spend money to buy a canned study that I might not make it through? How do I know what resources are good?
Solution
The solution involves two ingredients – a simple blueprint to follow, and readily-available examples to use and learn from.
Ingredient 1 – A Game Plan for studying the Bible
What if you had a simple blueprint for studying the Bible? A straightforward, 4-step plan that keeps you from getting bogged down in the weeds?
The steps come from Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s book, Searching the Scriptures. He’s used this approach since his days in the Marines, and he still uses it to prepare his sermons decades later.
Click this link for details jump to the page (page under construction) – but note, you might want to just glance at the steps for now. You will naturally absorb them by taking advantage of ingredient 2…
Ingredient 2 – Fast, Free, Easy, Interesting Study Templates
Overview
The Burning Bush blog posts will dive into interesting topics, with Swindoll’s four steps already performed. Resources will be provided so you can dig deeper if you have the time and inclination. But if you only have a few minutes, it will still work! Click here (under construction) to go directly to the lists of posts.
Categories
There are three groups of templates. We suggest you start with the personal studies to familiarize yourself with the process, but feel free to jump in wherever you choose!
Personal – These studies provide quick but meaningful tools to help you learn the structure and content of the Bible and yet have the tools to dig deeper when the Spirit leads. You can spend ten minutes or an hour.
Family – Feel like you should be doing more to influence your kids toward Jesus? These studies are meant to be shared around the dinner table or in bed with your kids. The templates typically ask a single question about a portion of a Bible story. Your family will use their brains while they learn. And you’ll have fun too!
Note – sometimes more than one question or topic will be presented about the story. Choose the idea that you think will work best for your family unit, or make up your own!
Men’s Study Group – I know what you’re thinking. Whoa, I’m not going to be leading a group study any time soon. Well, just in case God ever thrusts you into this situation (I’ve been there, and had no idea where to start), you’ll have some interesting discussions that your friends will love. Although targeting men, these studies would also work for a wider audience.
Our Promises to You
- The 15 minute rule – Studies can be digested in 15 minutes or less. Sometimes you might want to dig deeper. But that’s on you 😎.
- Always free. We request that you subscribe to our newsletter.
- No homework.
- Interesting topics, designed for men, but good for everyone.
- One question we’ll never ask: How does that make you feel?
Usage Rights
- Personal use – If you’re a subscriber to the Burning Bush Blogs, you may copy, modify, and use the templates for personal use in any way you need, including reprinting and/or adapting for group Bible study purposes. You are not required to ask permission. But we’d love to hear from you if the templates made a difference. We’d also like to know if you have ideas for improvements or future blog topics.
- Commercial use of the blogs and/or the templates is permitted with the following requirements:
- Give credit to the Burning Bush Blog series, by Daniel P. Warner.
- Provide a URL link to both the template post that you used and to this landing page.
- References to materials adapted from Chuck Swindoll’s Searching the Scriptures must be cleared with Tyndale House Publishing.
Bible study methodology adapted from Searching the Scriptures with permission from Tyndale House:
Swindoll, Charles, Searching the Scriptures. Tyndale House Publishers, 2016.